The pitch will be the centre of attention once again when India face off against England in the fourth and final Test match, at Motera, Ahmedabad. A lot will be at stake here for both sides. India will need to ensure they do not lose the game so that they can advance to the final of the ICC World Test Championship. England, on the other hand, will want to save face and prevent their first Test series loss under Joe Root in Asia. They have already been ruled out of the WTC final, but if they win here, they will ensure Australia enter the finals. The series reads 2-1 in favour of India.
England will not find the conditions easy, though. Despite repeated chatter, the track is likely to be brown and bald to suit the Indian spinners. Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, R Ashwin, and Ajinkya Rahane have all vehemently defended the track that was on offer at the pink-ball Test, where spinners took 28 of the 30 wickets to fall in a game that lasted just under two days. The narrative, thus, is loud and clear: the Indians will not shy away from exploiting the home advantage, and that touring sides should not expect anything less.
However, as many as 21 wickets had fallen to straighter deliveries in the last game, which also suggested that the pitch was not the only factor to blame. The players – both English and Indian – played for the turn; greater application and concentration with the bat will be expected of players of both sides.
The fact that a spot in the finals of the World Test Championship is at stake can be another big reason behind pushing for a wicket that will aid slower bowlers. Currently, India have 10 wins in the ongoing Championship; another win will mean a berth in the finals with the most wins.
Team news:
India: India will be without the services of Jasprit Bumrah for the game, who has excused himself due to personal reasons. However, the fact that Bumrah sent down a total of six overs in the last game indicates that India is unlikely to miss his services. Umesh Yadav may get the nod over Mohammed Siraj as Bumrah’s replacement. Kuldeep Yadav may replace Washington Sundar as well, but with Kohli suggesting that the latter adds batting depth, he may hold on to his spot.
Probable XI: Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill, Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli (c), Ajinkya Rahane, Rishabh Pant (wk), Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, R Ashwin, Umesh Yadav/Mohammad Siraj, Ishant Sharma.
England: One change in the England camp is certain – the return of Dom Bess. They had misread the track in the last game and went in with three seamers, which meant that part-timer Root had to bowl in tandem with Jack Leach. Root ended up picking 5-8, which should prompt the side to field another specialist spinner. Mark Wood might get a look-in as well over Jofra Archer, who has been unable to provide the extra pace consistently and has picked up four wickets thus far.
Probable XI:
Joe Root (c), Zak Crawley, Dom Sibley, Jonny Bairstow, Ben Stokes, Ollie Pope, Ben Foakes (wk), Dom Bess, Jack Leach, Mark Wood, James Anderson.